Gaslight Restaurant Peppercorn Dressing

This is a restaurant-batch dressing with serious backbone. A full quart of mayo gets loaded up with cracked black pepper, grated Parmesan, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice, and vinegar. The result is a thick, peppery, savory dressing that tastes like it belongs on a steakhouse wedge salad next to a charred ribeye.

The black pepper is the star, so don’t skimp on it. Freshly cracked pepper gives you a sharper, more aromatic bite than pre-ground, and you want that assertive heat front and center in every spoonful.

Cold water thins the mayo to a pourable consistency without diluting the flavor the way milk or cream would. The dressing firms up again in the fridge, so don’t worry if it seems a bit loose right after mixing.

Kitchen Tips

• Use freshly cracked black pepper, not pre-ground. The volatile oils that give pepper its aroma evaporate quickly once ground, and this dressing depends on that peppery punch.
• Mince the garlic as fine as possible. In a cold, uncooked dressing, raw garlic chunks are harsh and overwhelming.
• This recipe makes a large batch (5 cups). It stores well in the fridge for up to a week, making it ideal for meal prep or entertaining.
• Let it chill for at least an hour before serving. The Parmesan, pepper, and garlic flavors meld together and the dressing reaches its best flavor when cold.

Variations

• Green peppercorn: Add a tablespoon of brined green peppercorns (drained and lightly crushed) for a milder, more herbaceous pepper flavor.
• Blue cheese peppercorn: Fold in crumbled blue cheese for a hybrid dressing that covers two steakhouse classics at once.
• Lighter version: Replace half the mayo with Greek yogurt for a tangier, lower-fat take that still has good body.